#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1969-12-23

Hello darlings! It’s me, your pinkest tutu-wearing blogger, Emma, and it’s a beautiful, crisp Tuesday morning here in London. My dear friend, I’m so glad you’ve joined me for this week's #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History adventure!

This week, my Time Traveller's Train has landed me in a very special year: 1969. Oh, it’s simply thrilling to be back in the year of the moon landing! It was just last month, the 20th of July, to be precise, when humanity achieved that extraordinary feat – a momentous occasion that captures the spirit of this decade beautifully. But, for me, there’s a lot more than moon walks to adore about the sixties. This decade was bursting with beautiful things! And just think, this was just a few short years before ballet went through a massive fashion overhaul.

Before I jump into all things tutu-related, let's set the scene for the fashion scene, shall we? London was humming with the spirit of a totally exciting time. Everyone was looking at Mary Quant’s new fashion creations with ooh la la! The miniskirt had exploded on to the scene. Oh, those tiny skirts, they're truly an icon of the times!

Speaking of iconic style, the 1960s was truly the reign of the ballet-inspired fashion for evening wear. In the theatres, and in chic restaurants across London, we had an absolute explosion of dancing, flowing silhouettes, almost as fabulous as my tutus! And to add a little more drama to the scene, big, billowing hair was absolutely essential for the elegant and oh-so-glamorous London ladies of the era.

Now, back to the main attraction – the tutus. This era was a magical one, for the sheer beauty and creativity of tutus used in performances of Swan Lake, Giselle, and the classics! You could imagine a beautiful ballet blanc in full splendour in this very moment, my dears, with billowing white tulle tutus. It’s a pure visual spectacle! This period had an air of the dramatic and elegant. So romantic, really! I could just picture it, can't you?

It’s not all about the classics though. 1969 was the year that ballet itself saw a revolution! It’s been a constant part of my blog, darling. My absolute favourite time! Modern Ballet started getting serious. It’s so wonderfully dramatic and dynamic and so wonderfully colourful!

Here, in 1969, we have new modern ballet choreographers doing bold and beautiful pas de bourrée in tutus with a bit of an edge - you know, a shorter skirt, perhaps made in an unconventional colour for a real splash of drama! Oh darling, imagine seeing a tutu that is all scarlet red and black… it is so, so elegant.

There were all sorts of thrilling designs, my darling – with a bit more freedom for designers and choreographers in ballet. Remember what Rudolf Nureyev brought to the table – so stylish, so innovative, such exciting modernism in his moves! Imagine seeing it for the very first time! I’m going to time travel to see his version of Swan Lake! Just for this blog, of course! Just as soon as I’ve visited the beautiful Victoria & Albert museum - it is full of beautiful ballet costumes to gaze at! And when it comes to costume designers, none did it better than Olga Lehmann - just fantastic. She could sew an entire tutu in about three hours, darling - I can’t imagine!

Remember, London has always been an absolute heartland for ballet – that’s why I am in the UK today - my trip back to London! Just like any true ballet lover, I will be making my way straight to the Royal Opera House to see a fantastic show, The Nutcracker, which was absolutely one of my absolute favourite productions in all the shows I’ve seen, with a performance featuring beautiful costumes that made every little dancer feel like a princess, but of course - that’s the magic of ballet.

If you happen to be near Covent Garden tomorrow night, why don’t you pop along? Afterward, we can go to my favorite little cafe around the corner to talk all things ballet. It’s all the best and best fashion that is making London the most inspiring place for the best of everything.

So much more to discover this week about this most delightful decade in ballet history, my dears, but time has slipped away so very quickly. For me, it is always time for tutu-ing off back to the future now! Catch up with you all next week! Keep the tutus twirling!

Emma xxx